


Second Sight

by fmo



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Can be read as friendship or romance, Essentially an un-fix-it, Gen, Not A Fix-It, PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-15
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2018-01-01 14:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fmo/pseuds/fmo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Almost the worst thing is how Steve doesn’t really see stuff. It’s not exactly like Steve sees the world through rose-colored glasses, but there’s a lot of things Steve doesn’t see. </p><p>Sometimes, because Steve doesn’t see it, other people don’t see it too. Like how Steve doesn’t see any problem with throwing a big hubcap at people who’re trying to shoot you. Steve didn’t see the problem, so somehow everybody just accepted it.</p><p>But sometimes other people do see the stuff Steve doesn’t see.</p><p>The Commandos don’t spend time with Bucky much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Sight

The worst thing, Bucky thinks—

—the worst thing—

Almost the worst thing is how Steve doesn’t really see stuff. It’s not exactly like Steve sees the world through rose-colored glasses, but there’s a lot of things Steve doesn’t see.

Sometimes, because Steve doesn’t see it, other people don’t see it too. Like how Steve doesn’t see any problem with throwing a big hubcap at people who’re trying to shoot you. Steve didn’t see the problem, so somehow everybody just accepted it.

But sometimes other people do see the stuff Steve doesn’t see.

The Commandos don’t spend time with Bucky much.

If you asked Steve, he’d say that Bucky was one of the Howling Commandos too, of course, but that isn’t so. Steve doesn’t see that Bucky sits at the bar, not at the Commandos’ table. Doesn’t even occur to Steve that he’s walking between the two places every time they’re out.

Everyone likes Steve. And Steve is so smart. Who’s going to tell him?

Bucky does a lot just for Steve’s sake. He parts his hair on the side and uses some old good lines on Agent Carter, just for Steve’s sake. He ignores the looks from Carter and Dugan and Jones because Steve will never notice those either.

Steve doesn’t notice how shiny Bucky’s face is, even though it is shiny in the mirror behind the bar. Slightly blurred.

The worst thing is, Steve is so happy that he got Bucky back. Steve will deny and shrug off a million medals for saving all those guys, but secretly Steve’s deep faith in the universe was sustained by the fact that he saved Bucky. Oh, Steve’s best friend was taken from him but Steve went into the very maw of hell to save him and bring him back, and now they fight Nazis together.

Steve doesn’t believe in Captain America, really, but he believes in the shield and he believes in his own ability to do anything if he just tries hard enough. Steve didn’t ever see how Bucky had to save his ass when trying hard wasn’t good enough.

Steve doesn’t see the look on Agent Carter’s face, ever, when Bucky takes those old lines out of his back pocket and uses them on her, just for Steve. Steve doesn’t ever see the gleam on Bucky’s face, the sharpness of hair falling over a sweaty forehead. Steve most likely still sees the Bucky in the sharp uniform who went off to war.

What does Steve see, Bucky wonders as he puts a bullet through another Hydra guy’s head. Does he see Bucky with the gun, killing people for Steve?

Sometimes Steve doesn’t see the particulars.

Steve didn’t see Bucky’s injuries on the night he took him out of the Hydra plant.

Steve thinks they are gonna go home after the war.

The worst thing, Bucky thinks—

Well, almost the worst thing is that everyone else sees. Jones sees but doesn’t say anything. Dugan sees and sometimes passes Bucky a cigarette or a stolen bottle of liquor, and Morita sees and makes remarks that Steve doesn’t hear, and Carter just looks at Bucky with big sad sober eyes when Bucky tries his lines on her just for Steve.

Oh, Steve took Bucky out of that Hydra plant, all right, but. None of Bucky’s wisecracks are funny any more, and the pretty girls don’t smile back at his smile.

Steve thinks he saved Bucky.

The worst thing, Bucky thinks, is Steve’s so happy. He thinks they’re gonna go home when it’s over.


End file.
